Clock reel

Wooden clock reel with four arms joined to a squared shaft supported between two uprights mounted at either side of one end of a rectangular plank raised on four short, splayed legs; turning mechanism mounted between uprights consisting of two wooden gears with sawtooth edges, the uppermost and smaller of the two fitting into four rectangular slots carved into sides of shaft.

Gallery Label:

A clock reel had either four or six arms around which a length of yarn was wound in order to measure it. If the distance around the arms measured 2 yards, then forty turns of the device would yield a "knot" (a length of 80 yards). A skein (560 yards) was the equivalent of 7 knots.

Credit Line:

Gift of George W. Nash

Provenance:

The George W. Nash Collection of Ulster County, New York Household Artifacts

Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.